Napa/Solano Kaiser doctor says no need to be scared of flu shots

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Though local Kaiser Permanente infectious diseases doctor Stephen Parodi said he hears concerns each year from those afraid they'll catch the flu from the flu vaccine, he insists this is not possible.

"People can get the vaccine and then, sometimes get a low-grade fever for up to two days and even some minor aches, but this is not evidence that they've gotten the flu," Parodi said.

"The flu vaccine is made from a dead virus and can't actually cause disease. What they're experiencing is an immune response; the body's making anti-bodies to protect you from the flu. It's a sign the vaccine's working."

If one tends to get this reaction, Parodi said he recommends taking Tylenol, sometimes in advance, if the condition is predictable.

Another possibility is catching the flu before getting the vaccine, or coming down with some other virus that might be circulating, he said.

"We're in the middle of respiratory syncytial virus season that can cause many of the same symptoms as flu, and, like the common cold virus, the flu shot can't help this."

On its website, Consumer Reports, a watchdog group, notes, "the flu vaccine has proved to be safe over many decades. While estimates vary, in general it has been found to reduce the risk of catching the flu by about 70 to 90 percent in healthy adults. It's less effective in older people and those with compromised immune systems, but it can lessen the severity of the flu, limiting serious complications and deaths."

Consumer Reports conducted a survey on the issue of flu shots during the 2010 Swine Flu outbreak, and published the results, along with its own experts' answers to expressed concerns.

The results follow.

Five bad reasons survey respondents gave for skipping the flu shot and Consumer Reports' response:

* "I believe in building my natural immunity." The vaccine builds immunity, too -- without the risk of disease or its complications. And since flu viruses change from year to year, the protection you develop one season from the disease might not help much the next, anyway.

* "I don't get the flu." People can get the flu with symptoms so mild they aren't noticed, yet still spread the disease.

* "Medicine and other remedies can treat the flu." There are lots of over-the-counter flu remedies on pharmacy shelves, but most are only mildly effective at easing symptoms, and many pose potentially serious risks. The prescription anti-viral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) can make flu symptoms less severe and shorten the duration by a day or two. But they work only if they're started within two days of the onset of symptoms. And overuse of them might breed antiviral-resistant strains.

* "I worry about side effects or getting the flu from the vaccine." Side effects are uncommon and usually limited to soreness at the injection site, aches, low-grade fever, and, in very rare cases, serious allergic reactions or possibly Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder.

* "I don't like shots." The flu shot uses a small-bore needle so it causes little pain for most people. If that doesn't reassure you, look away. If you think you might faint, lie down for the shot and stand slowly afterward. Or ask your doctor if you're a candidate for the nasal spray.